10 Diverse Sci-Fi Authors You Should Know

We recently read Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah’s interview with Samuel Delany in the new issue of The Paris Review and it got us thinking about all the things we think we know about science fiction writers and how wrong we were. Though we might first think of Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, or Ray Bradbury, it’s good to remember that the field has widened in the past thirty years or so to be more inclusive. Now there are women, people of color, and writers of all different kinds of sexualities getting involved in the genre. Before, people would point to Ursula K. Le Guin as the token women of the boys’ club, but now you have so many other options. So enjoy, readers, and maybe you can discover a few writers to geek out to before the new sci-fi blockbuster makes it to the theater.

Samuel R. Delany

Queer, black, and challenging — Delany’s brain is massive, and he is constantly investigating the world through a critical lens. His grandmother, Sarah Louise “Sadie” Delany, was a civil rights pioneer, and co-wrote the bestselling memoir, Having Our Say, with her sister Bessie. Samuel has also received his share of accolades: in 2002, Samuel was inducted into the sci-fi hall of fame. His latest book, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, will be out this October.